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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks everyone....sorry i'm so late replying but i've only just got my internet back.

ok...here's my update.

Hiv confirmation came at the wrong time....My GP was away for three weeks and the locum,although great,didn't have any experience of hiv...I couldn't get a hospital appointment for two weeks to find out my numbers..my mam was coming up from Wales to visit me and to see the local Highland Games the following week.....and because I had lost so much weight and was feeling really bad,I thought I had full blown AIDS already...Great holiday she was going to have....sun shining/pipers piping/tossers tossing/kilts a-flying etc etc.....She knew I wasn't well with the chronic shits,but had no idea of anything else apart from the fact I was feeling a bit low.Anyway,I sort of panicked when she phoned me from Carlisle and told he, and then gave her the option of turning back home.She told me not to worry and she'd come up to look after me for as long as I wanted because "I'm your mother"....I couldn't fucking believe it.I'd been stressing out so badly about it and she handled it just like she handles all the shit she's had to put up with for years.

I've been lucky to have been able to tell 3 people in the village and they have been incredibly supportive.I've no doubt the story will get out and the shit will hit the fan with a lot of the villagers but as long as i have the support of those 3 people i'll be ok.

My mam stayed for a couple of weeks during which i had my hospital appointment.My CD4 was 468 and 22%.I went home happier,but the diarrhoea continued.A week later I was admitted for nine days because it was so bad.At 6ft I'm only 68 kilos at my heaviest (my family are naturally skinny) but I was down to 59 kilos and quietly panicking,but the doc said my count was still ok at 462 and 29% and viral load was 11,000 and whatever it was,it wasn't hiv.Irritable Bowel Syndrome was diagnosed after radiology showed no infection and thyroid and other blood tests were neg.

I'm eating a lot better now and since i've come home i've gone up to 62 kilos....once i'm back up to 68 i'll be happy,but i know it'll take time because of my metabolism etc etc...i'm on mebeverine to control my bowels and they are better....yeee haaaa!!

I've moved house.....got a shitload of grief from work and social security etc etc,but i'm working through it...I'm trying to hike 3 miles a day and i do 30 press ups every morning and I suspect this unnaccustomed activity will kill me before hiv does.

And yes, after having spent some time in Holy Head, I know how you Welsh folks are about the language - and rightly so. But there was one time when my skipper, fellow crewman and I were in a pub with some Welsh-speakers when the landlord gave them hell - they had been talking about me in Welsh and speculating about just what a woman was doing as crew on a fishing boat. LOL We had been supplying the landlord and his family with fresh fish so he wasn't pleased about what was being said - right in front of me too, even though I couldn't understand a word. He made them all apologise in English hehehe!

Your numbers are looking good and will likely continue to improve. Numbers are always crap in primary infection but right themselves after a couple months, so hang in there and expect the best.

I'm so glad your mam is being supportive - and some neighbours too. It's so very important to have some face-to-face support and care. It sounds like you're doing very well, all things considered. You can get some very good books on handling IBS - not only diet-wise but head-wise too. Anxiety can really do a number on IBS - I know, I have it too. I use low doses of codeine to control mine because the anti-diarrhea meds do a number on my stomach.

Anyway, good to hear from you and I hope now that you're connected again, we'll be hearing more from you.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Well,it's not exactly primary infection....it's coming up to a year now,but considering how bad i felt i was most surprised that it was in the 400's

If I can get a couple of years without meds I'll be delighted,but we'll see how it goes.I got another appointment next thursday in Aberdeen so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Hope everyone is doing great....that you have had luck finding your sister/Bucko is getting out of his dark place/Melia has got over the shingles/Sexy Alanbama (and all the Alans) is piling on the weight/Teresa and Hubby are going from strength to strength/Jeffreys 'Fuzeon Feet' are better....etc etc...

Hello Paul, and welcome back. It is good to hear that you now have things under control and you are doing much better. Eat, eat, and eat, drink plenty of fluids, and get plenty of rest also. Your CD4's sound great too.